Dental Services

Implants:

If your dentures hurt, slip out of place or gag you when you chew or talk, you may want to consider dental implants.

Dental implants are small titanium cylinders surgically inserted into the bone of your jaw, creating the foundation for new teeth.

By replacing the roots of missing teeth, they also stabilize bone, which is otherwise lost once teeth are missing.

For people for whom the transition to dentures has never been optimal, dental implants can provide an invaluable sense of confidence. If you are only missing one tooth or several teeth, you can similarly replace just those missing teeth. Come into our Manhattan office to discuss the benefits of dental implants with one of our dentists.

Cosmetics:

The aim of dental cosmetics is to perfect every aspect of your smile.

Porcelain Laminates: also called porcelain veneers are a thin shell of porcelain that is bonded to the teeth to improve their shape. Only the front and top of the teeth are covered. Veneers are used to close spaces, lengthen, whiten or repair teeth, or restore their original looks. Veneers are very strong; the porcelain fuses with the teeth and makes them beautiful and natural looking.

Home bleaching: To lighten teeth, we use a concentrated solution of a hydrogen peroxide base. First we create a custom-made bleaching tray to fit over your teeth. At home, you place some solution into the tray and wear it for a few hours daily for several weeks. Teeth generally retain their lighter color for several years. Then touch-ups with more solution are easy.

1 Hour Whitening: We can now lighten teeth in one hour instead of what used to take several weeks. The patented machine is a breakthrough in cosmetics technology. We have been doing these one-hour whitening for two years.

Root Canal:

When the nerve in a tooth becomes infected, root canal treatment can save the tooth.

Your nerve may be infected if you have sensitivity to hot and cold, jaw swelling and/or pain, or a bad taste in the mouth. The tooth may not hurt yet, but it will. An infected tooth never heals on its own, and it creates stress on the immune system. Root canal treatment can save the tooth.

An infected tooth never heals on its own, and it creates stress on the immune system. Root canal treatment can save the tooth.

Come into our Manhattan office to talk to one of our dentists to see root canal can save an infected tooth.

TMJ Dysfunction:

TMJ, or Tempero-Mandibular Joint Dysfunction, is a group of problems that results from a faulty joint between the jaw, or mandible, and the skull, or temporal bone.

This imbalance can cause several symptoms: headaches, earaches, difficulty moving the jaw, clicking or popping sounds in the joint, an ache around the ear, or painful jaw muscles.

To restore the balance, we may crown teeth, fill spaces, move teeth, or adjust your bite.

A splint, or plastic mouthpiece, can restore harmony if clenching or grinding created the problem.

Periodontal Disease:

By the age of 15, 4 out of 5 Americans are affected by gingivitis, the earliest stage of Periodontal Disease, an infection of the teeth, gums and bone. Periodontal disease is rarely painful in the early stages and most people are unaware of it when they could be doing most about it.

Periodontal Disease is caused chiefly by plaque, the invisible accumulation of sticky food and bacteria on the teeth. Unless it is constantly removed by flossing and brushing, plaque mineralizes into tarter, the hardened film on which periodontal bacteria thrive, especially on the root surfaces under the gums. Periodontal bacteria produce toxins that destroy the bone surrounding the tooth.

It is important to catch Periodontal Disease early.

In addition to x-rays, our dental exam includes probing the pockets around the teeth.

Pockets deeper than 3 mm indicate the need for preventive therapy.

Other warning signs: bone loss or tarter on x-rays; bleeding, red, or swollen gums.

Come into our Manhattan office to understand if you have a periodontal condition with one of our dentists.

Wisdom Teeth Extractions:

Wisdom teeth are the third and last molars to appear, usually in the late teens or early twenties-and that is when the problems they cause start, too.

Some of those problems are the result of impacted wisdom teeth. Wedged between the jawbone and another tooth, impacted wisdom teeth can push on other teeth.

An impacted wisdom tooth is painful if it becomes infected, and the pain can persist days after antibiotics are started. And cysts can form around impacted wisdom teeth, destroying bone before the problem is noticed.

There are other reasons to extract wisdom teeth preventively. They are virtually impossible to keep free of plaque and are therefore a breeding ground for periodontal disease, which then spreads. And their nerves can damage nerves in the jaw. Wisdom teeth are therefore best extracted early-even before they break through the gums.

They are easier to remove during the mid-teens, with shorter roots and more space around them. There is less risk of nerve damage, bone fills in better behind the second molar, and the process is therefore less painful and faster and easier to heal.

Come into our Manhattan office to talk to one of our dentists about extracting your wisdom teeth.

Crowns, Bridges and Dentures:

If a cavity is sizable, the tooth needs to be strengthened in addition to being filled. This strengthening is achieved by crowning the tooth: the crown covers and protects it.

Bridges are another prosthetic, or replacement, device. When a tooth is lost, the level of pressure on the surrounding teeth changes. With nothing pressing against it, the opposing tooth can even emerge from its socket. Your bite then changes and chewing is affected. A bridge prevents these spacing problems.

When teeth are beyond saving — for example, when advanced periodontal disease means that insufficient bone remains as grounding — a Denture may be a good option. Removing infected teeth and getting an immediate denture will improve the health of your mouth and your sense of well-being.

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